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2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

.A. D.,ALLEN HANDLE FOR GOPPINS, &c.

- Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

INVENTOR /g ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES: 7 5i @QMMW 3*. H QLMYV Pholmlilhngraphur, Washinglon. D. (l

(No Model.)

A. D. ALLEN;

HANDLE FOR GOPFINS, 8w.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

FIE-H WITNESSES:

' IN NTOR xa waa BYfyyygby ATTORNEYS Unrrnn Starts Parent? @rrren.

ALVIN D. ALLEN, OF SYRACUSE, NFAV YORK.

HANDLE FOR COFFiNS, $4.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,184, dated January 18, 1857.

Application lilcd November 15, 1886. Serial No. 218,892. (No model.)

' the handles of coifins or caskets detachably, so

that the same handles may be repeatedly used 'npo'n burial-casketsand readily removed without unscrewing the plates; and to this end the invention consists in providing two plates, one of which is provided with a groove and screw-holes for securing the same to the coffin or casket, while the other is provided with a tongue fitting in the groove and a spring-stop taking in a recess in the grooved plate, and the said tongue-plate hasjournaled in lugs formed thereon a handle-support, whereby the grooved plates secured to the casket and tongue-plate, carrying the handle-support, may be readily united by sliding one within the other, and as readily disengaged by sliding the handle-carrying plate out of the grooved plate, all as more particularly hereinafter set forth; and it also consists in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts, as fully described in the specification, and pointed out in the claims.

In specifying my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in all figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention,

showing the back of the plates for attaching the handle to the coffin. Fig. 2 is atop plan, slightly enlarged, showing the two plates in their engaged position. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the tongue-plate carrying the securing-spring. Fig. at shows a side elevation, e11- larged, of the tongue-plate, handle pivoted to the plate, and the spring for locking the plate to the grooved plate. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the plates with the metal broken away in the grooved plate to show the spring taking in the recess therein for securing the tongueplate to the grooved plate. Fig. 6 shows an edge view of the grooved plate. Fig. 7 is a section on line as a", Fig. 8. Fig. 9 shows a reversal in the construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, in which the recess and shoulder for the spring to bear against are formed in the tongue-plateand the spring secured in the grooved plate. Fig. 10 is a further modification, in which a spring-stop takes the place of the iiat spring shown in the first form of my invention, the tongue and grooved plates being in sectiontaken on line a 2, Fig. 14, for the purpose of showing the construction and arrangement of the spring-stop. Fig. 11 is an inverted bottom plan of the tongue-plate of the modified construction illustrated in Fi 10. Fig. 12 is a section taken on line y y, Fig. 11, illustrating the construction of the parts. Fig.'13 is a top plan of the grooved plate, which is secured to the casket in the modified construction; and Fig. 14 is a similar view of the modified construction provided with the step or recess for the spring-stop. Fig. 15 illustrates a further modification in the spring-stop device for connecting the plate, said view being partly in section and broken away to showthe spring-stop device. Fig-115 is atransverse sec tion of the tongue and dovetail plates, illustrating the modification in the construction of the parts. Fig. 17 is a bottom plan of the tongue-plate, and Figs. 18 and '19 illustrate,

respectively, the spring-stop device shown in T Fig. 15.

A is the handle-support, and B the handle connected to the support in any suitable manner. The said handle may be of any desired design. The handle-support A is connected to the plate a by pivot-ing the same between the lugs Z Z, Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

The plate a hasa tongue, a, formed thereon,

and a spring, 0, secured at 0, Figs. 4 and 5.

' abrn pt shoulder at its deepest extremity, which comes next to the top of the plate, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

The through groove 1) may be a dovetail groove, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6, and the plate I) is provided with screw-holes for the attaching-screws, which secure the plate to the coffin.

The plate I) is preferably secured to the coffin with the abrupt shoulder d of the recess (1 upward, and the handle-carrying plate a, provided with the tongue a and spring 0, is slid into the groove 1) of the plate downward, the two plates interlocking when the spring 0 takes in the recess (1. XVheu the plates are thus interlocked, the spring 0 bears against the shoulder din the recess (1. Consequently when it is desired to raise the casket by the handles 13 the tongue-plate (t is firmly united or interlocked with the plate 7) against upward press ure, which is resisted by the shoulder cl of the recess (1, and the coffin or casket may be raised by the handle as readily as though the handle were permanently secured thereto. and when it is desired to detach the handles it is simply necessary to press downward, so as to withdraw the spring 0 from the beveled recess, when the two plates a I) slide apart, enabling the operator to remove the handle without unscrewing the plate from the coffin or casket.

It will be observed that the two plates are united by sliding the handle-carrying plate (6 into the plate 0, secured to the cofiin, from the top until the spring 0 takes in the recess (1, the shoulder d of which prevents the withdrawal ofthe plate a when the coffin is lifted by the handles, and that the plates are disengaged by sliding the plate a downward on Z) through the bottom of the groove 7), which movement is permitted by the groove 1), extending through from top to bottom or end to end. of the plate I), and the beveled recess (Z allows the spring 0 to be withdrawn from below as the plate a is pushed downward to remove the handle.

If desired, the plate I) may be provided with the raised beads e and the plate a, provided with a corresponding depression, a, Fig. 5, which also interlock and aid in holding the plates a b securely together.

The example of my invention which I have just described is my preferred plan of constructing the same; but the construction and arrangement of the parts may be considerably changed and modified without departing from the principle of my invention. Hence I do not restrict myself to the precise construction and arrangement illustrated and described.

At Fig. 9 I have illustrated a reversal of the arrangement of the recess (1 and spring a, the spring 0 being secured to the plate I), and the recess (7, with the shoulder (1, being formed in the tongue-plate (t. In this case the abrupt shoulder d is at the lower end of the handlecarrying plate a, and the operation of the parts is precisely the same as in the previouslydeseribed form of my invention.

At Fig. 10 of the drawings I have illustrated a further modification in the construction and arrangement of the interlocking plates. In this case the plates slide transversely,the plate 1), instead of having the groove 1) running vertically through the plate, has the said groove running transversely, and the plates interlock horizontally. The recess din this case may consist ofa circularseat orstep,formed, preferably, in the plate b, and the spring-stop 0 may consist ofa spring-actuated pin, as shown in Figs. 10 and 12, which takes in the step or recess (1 and securely locks the plates.

At Fig. 15 a still further modification is illustrated, in which thespringstop c is formed in the shape of an eccentric, and a spiral S, is inserted between the plate a and the handle-support A, to prevent the handle-support A from bearing against the trigger of the spring-stop 0 when the handlesupport A is depressed so as to collide with the spring-stop c. The spring-stop c rocks on its pivot, clearing the recess (1, when the plates may be detat'ahed, as above described.

Figs. 16 and 17 show a still further modification in the form and construction of the tongue and groove in the plates a and b, as illustrated, and which will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings.

The essential characteristics of my inven' tion reside in the combination of the handle carrying plate and the plate secured to the coffin, one of the plates being provided with a groove and the other with a tongue, and a spring-stop secured to one of the plates, taking in the recess in the other, whereby the plates interlock by sliding one into the other, and are readily detached in the manner dcscribed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A detachable handle for coffins and like articles, comprising a plate secured to the coffin, a plate carrying the handle-support, one of the plates being provided with a groove and the other with a tongue, and a springstop secured to one of the plates, taking in a recess in the other plate when the plates are interlocked by sliding one into the other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the plate a, having the handle-support A secured thereto, and a tongue, a, with the grooved plate Z having the beveled. recess (1, in the shoulder d, at one end thereof, and the spring a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In tcstimon y whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting wit nesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onon daga, in the State of New York, this 10th day of November, 1886.

ALVIN D. ALLEN.

iVitnesses:

FREDERICK H. Grass, E. O. CANNON. 

